Supplements: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Your body does not store vitamin C so you must consume enough each day to maintain good health. Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Because of this, your body uses a lot of vitamin C to repair wounds. Vitamin C is also needed to form and repair cartilage, bones, and teeth. Large amounts of vitamin C are used by your body during any kind of healing process, whether it's from a cold, infection, disease, injury, or surgery. In these cases you may need extra vitamin C. Vitamin C helps reduce the damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals and pollutants like drugs and cigarette smoke. Smokers especially need extra vitamin C. Research has shown that vitamin C can help prevent cancer and is necessary for a healthy immune system. It also helps maintain good vision as you get older.

Uses

Vitamin C can have many positive effects on your body, including the following.

Boosts immune system functions

Protects against cancer

Necessary for wound healing

Helps prevent cataracts Increases

HDL (good) cholesterol

Decreases risk of heart disease

Reduces blood pressure

Useful in treating allergies

Maintains healthy blood vessels

Counteracts asthma spasms

Helps overcome male infertility

Helps protect diabetics against long-term complications

Protects against sunburn and its effects.

Can assist treatment of bleeding gums, easy bruising, and arthritis

Assists treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions

If you eat many cured, processed, or preserved meats like bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, or sliced luncheon meat, you should know that Vitamin C helps prevent these foods from forming cancer-causing "nitrosamines" in the stomach. It's a good idea to eat foods rich in vitamin C, or take vitamin C supplements, at the same time you eat processed meats.

You can purchase either natural or synthetic vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, in a wide variety of supplement forms. Tablets, capsules, and chewable tablets are probably the most popular, but vitamin C also comes in powdered crystalline, effervescent tablet and liquid form. You can purchase dosages ranging from 25 mg to 1,000 mg per tablet. "Buffered" vitamin C is available if you find that regular ascorbic acid bothers your stomach. "Ester-C" is a form of vitamin C which the manufacturer claims is better absorbed by the body. Laboratory testing concluded that this claim is not true, and has shown that regular vitamin C is absorbed just as well.

How to Take It

Vitamin C is not stored in the body, so it must be replaced as it gets used. The best way to take supplements is with meals two or three times per day, depending on the dosage. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is 60 mg for adults, 70 mg for pregnant women, 95 mg for breast-feeding women, 100 mg for smokers, 40 mg for young children, and 50 mg for older children. Some studies suggest that adults should take between 250 mg and 500 mg twice a day for maximum benefit. Be sure to check with your health care provider before taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis.

Precautions

Vitamin C is generally non-toxic. In high doses (more than 2,000 mg daily) it can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. Check with your health care provider before taking vitamin C supplements if you have any kidney problems. Infants born to mothers taking 6 g or more of vitamin C may develop rebound scurvy due to sudden drop in daily intake.

Decreases copper absorption Interferes with blood test for vitamin B12, inform your provider if you are having blood tests and you take extra vitamin C

No known adverse interactions with any drugs or herbs

Vitamin C is used by the liver to detoxify drugs and other chemicals. If you are currently taking regular medication, check with your health care provider before starting any vitamin supplements.

This document contains information relating to general principles of medical care that should not in any event be construed as specific instructions for individual patients. The reader is advised to check product information (including package inserts) for changes and new information regarding dosage, precautions, and contraindications before administering any drug. No claim or endorsements are made for any drug or compound currently in investigative use. No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in any material herein.

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Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It is an antioxidant essential for tissue growth and repair. The body cannot produce vitamin C, and since it is water-soluble and not stored, it must be obtained from food and supplements.